Configure automatic key-value field extraction

Automatic key-value field extraction is a search-time field extraction configuration that uses the KV_MODE attribute to automatically extract fields for events associated with a specific host, source, or source type. Configure automatic key-value field extractions by finding or creating the appropriate stanza in props.conf. You can find props.conf in $SPLUNK_HOME/etc/system/local/ or your own custom app directory in $SPLUNK_HOME/etc/apps/.

Automatic key-value field extraction is not explicit. You cannot configure it to find a specific field or set of fields. It looks for key-value patterns in events and extracts them as field/value pairs. You can configure it to extract fields from structured data formats like JSON, CSV, and from table-formatted events. Automatic key-value field extraction cannot be configured in Splunk Web, and cannot be used for index-time field extractions.

Automatic key-value field extraction and the sequence of search operations

Search-time operation order

Automatic key-value field extraction is third in the sequence of search operations, before field aliases and after transform extractions.

Restrictions

Splunk software processes automatic key-value field extractions in the order that it finds them in events.

For more information

Automatic key-value field extraction format

The following is the format for autoKV field extraction.

KV_MODE = [none|auto|auto_escaped|multi|json|xml]

KV_MODE value

Description

none

Disables field extraction for the source, source type, or host identified by the stanza name. Use this setting to ensure that other regular expressions that you create are not overridden by automatic field/value extraction for a particular source, source type, or host. Use this setting to increase search performance by disabling extraction for common but nonessential fields. We have some field extraction examples at the end of this topic that demonstrate the disabling of field extraction in different circumstances.

auto

This is the default field extraction behavior if you do not include this attribute in your field extraction stanza. Extracts field/value pairs and separates them with equal signs.

auto_escaped

Extracts field/value pairs and separates them with equal signs, and ensures that Splunk Enterprise recognizes \" and \\ as escaped sequences within quoted values. For example: field="value with \"nested\" quotes".

multi

Invokes the multikv search command, which extracts field values from table-formatted events.

xml

Use this setting to use the field extraction stanza to extract fields from XML data. This mode does not extract non-XML data.

json

Use this setting to use the field extraction stanza to extract fields from JSON data. This mode does not extract non-JSON data.

Note: If you set KV_MODE = json, do not set INDEXED_FIELDS = JSON for the same source type, the json fields are extracted twice, at index time and at search time.

When KV_MODE is set to auto or auto_escaped, automatic JSON field extraction can take place alongside other automatic key/value field extractions. To disable JSON field extraction without changing the KV_MODE value from auto, add AUTO_KV_JSON=false to the stanza. When not set, AUTO_KV_JSON defaults to true.

You can disable automatic search-time field extraction for specific sources, source types, or hosts in props.conf. Add KV_MODE = none for the appropriate [<spec>] in props.conf. When automatic key-value field extraction is disabled, explicit field extraction still takes place.

Custom field extractions set up manually via the configuration files or Splunk Web will still be processed for the affected source, source type, or host when KV_MODE = none.

Enter your email address, and someone from the documentation team will respond to you:

Please provide your comments here. Ask a question or make a suggestion.

Feedback submitted, thanks!

You must be logged into splunk.com in order to post comments.
Log in now.

Please try to keep this discussion focused on the content covered in this documentation topic.
If you have a more general question about Splunk functionality or are experiencing a difficulty with Splunk,
consider posting a question to Splunkbase Answers.